Allium ampeloprasum

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Wild Leek

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Alliaceae
Genus: Allium
Species: ampeloprasum
Binomial name
Allium ampeloprasum
L.

Allium ampeloprasum is a member of the onion genus Allium, in the family Alliaceae. The wild plant is commonly known as (Broadleaf) Wild Leek - not to be confused with the N. American Allium tricoccum of the same name. Its native range is S. Europe to W. Asia, and seems to have been introduced to Britain by prehistoric people, where its habitat consists of rocky places near the coast in south-west England and Wales.[1] [2] It has been differentiated into three different cultivated vegetables, namely leek, elephant garlic and kurrat.

Contents

[edit] Synonym

Allium porrum L.

[edit] Vernacular names

Allium ampeloprasum comprises several vegetables, of which the most important ones are known as

  • leek (English), poireau (French), alho porro (Portuguese);
  • great-headed garlic, elephant garlic (English), ail à grosse tête (French);
  • pearl onion (English), poireau perpétuel, petit poireau antillais (French), alho bravo, alho inglês (Portuguese;
  • kurrat (English, French).[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Plants for a Future: Allium ampeloprasum
  2. ^ CHRISTOPHER D. PRESTON, DAVID A. PEARMAN, ALLAN R. HALL (2004) Archaeophytes in Britain Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 145 (3), 257–294 doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00284.x, p. 264
  3. ^ Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.

[edit] External links

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